Uncovering pasts
by Thunderxtw
Summary: Business is slow for Dante at his shop but all that starts to change when he meets a mysterious young woman with no memory of her past and the ability to wield powers of the super natural. CH 7 UP
1. Default Chapter

_**Hello, this is my first Devil May Cry fanfic. I hope you all like it. Enjoy!**_

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It was a cold, dark, rainy afternoon as Dante sat in his shop bored as can be. He had hardly got any calls from anyone to his shop in weeks and it seemed business was going rather slow.

He sighed heavily as he paced over to the window to have a look outside. He could see the rain pelting against the window as he peered through the glass.

For days it was raining and it didn't seem to show any sighs of slowing down. As he looked through the window looking rather depressed, something easily caught his attention. He could hear smacking sounds coming from right outside his shop. He edged closer to the window to see what was the cause behind the loud noise.

To his surprise, he saw what appeared to be a woman being attacked by a vicious gang of demons holding swords and scythes. She seemed helpless as the creatures ganged on her and tackled her to the ground beginning to finish her off with one fatal stab.

Dante kicked the door down from his shop immediately and stormed outside to help the vulnerable woman. He quickly blasted away at the monsters with his pistols and sliced them all into dust with his sword.

Once the demons were all dead, he went to over to the woman to check her condition. She was lying on the sidewalk out cold on her stomach with her arms stretched out.

Dante rolled her over with the tip of his foot to get a look at her upper body. She was a beautiful young Asian woman with long brown hair that covered part of her face. Dante was taken back by how beautiful she was.

He wondered how a pretty woman such as herself ends up in front of his store with demons attacking her. Slowly but surely, Dante lifted her up from the cold wet ground and took her into his shop.

He placed her gently over by the fireplace on the couch where she could get warm since she seemed to be shivering tremendously from head to toe. An hour later, she started to wake up feeling dazed and exhausted.

What she saw around her startled her quite a bit as she jumped out at the sight of her surroundings. She had no idea where she was and felt rather confused to what was going on. Soon, Dante came in with a warm cup of tea in hand. He placed it on the table and made motions with his hands for the woman to drink it. But the woman just looked at him with a puzzled stare.

"What? You don't know how to drink tea?" Dante said looking at her.

The woman rose up from the couch and took the teacup off the table and started drinking it with both hands. Within seconds, the tea was gone and the woman placed the cup back on the table neatly.

"So what's your name?" Dante asked.

The woman looked around the room nervously with her eyes, scanning everything around her.

"I……I……….I don't know," she replied softly.

Dante showed a look of disbelief in his face.

"You don't know what your name is?"

"No."

Dante chuckled a little from the girls reply and sat down in his chair.

"So, you don't know what your name is? Do you at least know why those monsters were attacking you outside?"

The woman paused for a moment without answering. She sat up on the couch trying to figure out what was going on but could remember nothing.

"No, I don't know why they attacked me."

Dante let out a quick sigh as he saw the questions he was asking were going nowhere.

"Look, do you have a home to go to?"

The woman shook her head rapidly signaling she had nowhere to live. Knowing this, Date thought maybe she could stay at his place for a few days.

"I'll let you stay here for awhile but later you're going to have to leave!"

The Asian woman nodded her head slightly, fully understanding that she would only be allowed to stay with Dante for a short period of time. After saying that, Dante gave her an overview of all the rules and regulations she had to follow while staying in his shop.

"Don't touch any of my books, weapons, models or pictures. Got that?"

She nodded sheepishly from the sound of his voice. He came off as being a little mean to her but he really wasn't trying to be a jerk.

Once he finished explaining all the rules, Dante let out a soft yawn and stretched his arms out. He appeared to be a little sleepy and figured maybe an hour or two of rest would be just the thing to make him feel better. He went over to his office chair and folded his legs on his office table while leaning back in his chair. In a few minutes, he was sound asleep.

Back in the other room, the Asian woman sat staring wearyingly at the ceiling with her palms on the side of her face. She tried to go to sleep but for some reason she found it very hard to try to.

Everything Dante had placed in the room all around her looked interesting, but she knew she wasn't supposed to touch anything, so she didn't mess with anything. She sat on the couch trying to see if she could remember anything.

She felt bad that she couldn't even remember her name or even if she had a name to begin with. All that came up in her mind was a blank image. She had no idea where she was from, who her parents were, or where she lived.

She wanted to know, she wanted to remember, but couldn't. Suddenly, weak moaning sounds could be heard coming from the walls around her.

Before she knew it, several demons jumped out of the walls to attack her. She backed up against the wall nervously trying to keep a distance from the demons. She made a break for the door but the door wouldn't open from her side. Slowly she turns her head and sees the demon's edging closer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Athur's notes:_Hey thanks for the comments! I was going to delete this since it didnt get much attention but i guess some people are interested in it, so I'll continue. This one is a bit short. I promise the next one will be longer._**

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The Asian woman crept back as far as she could to keep a distance from the monsters, but the wall behind her restricted her to go back any further. Now she was trapped in a small area with nowhere to run or hide.

The heart inside her tightly firm chest began to beat at a very quick pace, forcing her to clinch on to it with her hand to keep it under control. In her mind she begged and pleaded that the demons just be an illusion or dream and would disappear into thin air.

As much as she wanted that to happen, the situation she was in was very real. She could feel the hot, steamy, foul odor lingering breath of the demons as they closed in, telling this was in no way a dream or an illusion.

Tears began to leak from her eyes like a flowing river. There was nothing she do but wait for the hideous demons to kill her and end it all.

Dante could not hear her desperate screams for he was asleep in the other room sitting totally relaxed in his chair. Meanwhile, The demons had finally gotten close enough to deliver a fatal blow that would kill anyone in an instant.

The Asian woman watched as a demon pulled out his rusty sword in front of her and raised it high in the air to deliver a beheading slice. Before his blade reached her neck, something paused it from going any further than it was supposed to.

The demon couldn't believe his eyes, as his target was indeed still alive. A strange white light began to glow around the Asian woman's body that caused the other demons to back off in a hurriedly fashion as she rose up from the dusty woodenfloor.

Placing her two palms together, she fires a blast of energy that quickly sends the demons to their appending doom. The impact of the blast blew a hole straight through the wall that caused a startled Dante to finally awaken from his sleep.

Getting out of his chair, he rushes over to the next room to find the Asian woman lying on the floor completely exhausted. His eyes shifted in every direction trying to find the source that created the huge hole in the wall, but found nothing. He comes over a few seconds later to check the condition of his fallen guest.

"Hey, are you alright? What happened?"

The Asian woman tried to speak but no words escaped her lips. She was too tired to say anything. Dante picked her up gently and threw her body over his shoulder. Once he laid her back on the couch, the woman tried as best as she could to explain to Dante what had happened.

"The demons came back and they tried to kill me, but somehow I managed to kill them before they had even gotten the chance. Some strange light shot out from my hands and completely obliterated each and everyone of them," she explained.

This sounded very strange to Dante. He wanted to commit on it, but a loud knock from the front door quickly halted his words. Upon opening the door, he comes face to face with a bearded middle-aged man wearing a lengthy blue coat and dark sunglasses.

"Can I help you, friend?" Dante says eyeing him.

"Yes, I am looking for this woman. Have you seen her?

He pulls a small picture from his coat pocket, while taking off his glasses, and flashes it up to Dante's face where he could see it. The image was that of a woman, the same exact woman Dante had sitting in his shop.

"I have been looking for her for days. And I believe she is somewhere in this area," he added.

Dante took a look at the man's wrist and saw a strange imprint marked across it. Looking into his eyes, Dante sensed something that signified this man couldn't be trusted.

"No. I haven't seen her," he says coldly.

"Well if you do be sure to contact me at this number," the man says giving him a card with a phone number printed on the front of it.

Once he had left, Dante slowly closes the door and locks it back.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad to see people appreciating the fic. I have decided to resurrect the story and present it to you all. Enjoy!**_

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Dante came walking back from the front door into his office, eyeing the Asian woman as she sat comfortably in his business chair, waiting for his return. Her soft fragile hands met at her sides as the young demon hunter approached her quietly with a blank expression. 

He placed both hands firmly on the nicely polished wooden table, in front of her, and sat down. Appearing deep in thought, he wondered as to who the stranger at the door was.

Apparently, the bearded man had a certain interest in finding the young Asian woman and Dante didn't have the slightest clue as to what that interest was. Seeing him stare up at the ceiling worryingly, his guest laid her soft smooth hands across his shoulder blades and rubbed them up and down in a gentle matter.

"Is something bothering you?" she whispers.

Dante slowly turns his head towards her, letting out a low grunt.

"That guy at the door knows you. Do you by chance know or remember him?"

The Asian woman's hands suddenly dropped down from his shoulders and retreated back to her sides. Slowly, she shook her head, claiming she did not know who he was or how he knew her.

"No, I don't know who he is or how he knows me. But then again, I can't seem to remember anything."

Dante figured the stranger might have some kind of connection with her, but wasn't sure as to what type of connection it could be. Then the image of the marking he saw across the man's wrist popped into his head.

That marking symbolized something and Dante knew it. What it meant was unknown, but he knew whatever it was it couldn't be good. A cold, painfulnumbing feeling had rolled down his spine the very moment he had gazed upon it.

The young woman decided that maybe following this man could help her piece together her past and find out her identity. Dante didn't see it as much of a smart idea, especially if it involved her being the one to follow. There was just something about that man Dante didn't seem to like or trust.

At that moment, the young woman suddenly broke into tears.

"Please. You must help me," she pleaded. "I don't like not knowing who I am or where I came from. I have to know!"

She clinched tightly to the young demon hunter's long red coat, soaking part of it in her moistened tears. Dante slowly wrapped his arms around, embracing her in a tight hug as he ran his fingers through her soft, shiny brown hair. He was eager to take time away from his schedule to help her. He just couldn't help seeing a young, beautiful woman such as herself cry.

"Don't worry. I'll help you," he said agreeing to lend a hand.

The woman slowly brought her face away from his coat and finally stopped crying after hearing his reply. Dante courteously handed her a tissue to wipe the streaming leaks of water that fell from her dampened eyes.

"Thank you. I really appreciate you helping me," she said, expressing her gratitude. "I mean, you look so busy, I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not being a burden. I'm willing to help you as long as you allow me to," stated the young demon hunter. Now, about those energy beams you were talking about earlier."

"Oh, yeah I almost forgot. When I was attacked in the other room, I somehow managed to shoot beams from the palms of my hands. Do you perhaps know what it could mean?"

Dante shook his head, implying no. He was confused as to how that possibly could have happened. He thought maybe she had just had a bad nightmare and dreamt the whole thing up.

But it wasn't a nightmare; it was very real indeed. He just did not quite know it. To see for himself, Dante asked her to give a demonstration .

She attempted many times, but didn't manage to create a single spark. Scratching her head in a confused manner, she couldn't understand as to why it wasn't working.

Dante knew he had strange powers but he thought this woman had none of the sort. There was no energy emitting from her body that he could feel, signaling she had no powers.

After awhile, they decide to go outside into the streets to seek an old acquaintance of Dante's that he feelsmight be able to help the situation.

_**

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Somewhere many miles south from Dante's store**_

The middle-aged stranger comes into view, walking boldly through the dark streets of the night, as his boots splash into the large muddy puddles on the hard concrete floor. A monstrous voice suddenly calls out to him from the darkened sky.

"Vincent Striker!"

"Yes?"

"Have you found the Asianwoman?"

"Not yet."

"Why not!" the voice bellowed.

"I'm doing all I can. Just be patient!" Vincent replied calmly

"How much longer do you expect me to wait?" asked the monstrous voice

"A little while longer? I've sent a troop of demons to help find her. There're like bloodhounds. In no time they will have sniffed out her location and report it back to me."

"Good, just refrain from harming her…for now. I understand how badly you want to hurt her after what she did to you, correct?"

"Indeed, but it wasn't what she did to me, it was what she did to someone I love," Striker said correcting the voice.

"Ok, just be sure not to inflict any pain upon her until I say so, got it?"

"I can't promise I wont do anything to her once I find her."

"Damn it! Striker, do not screw this up! I'm counting on you!"

The voice quickly faded out and the vengeful Vincent Striker continued on his way through the dark quiet streets.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**_

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Walking through the eerily quiet streets, Dante and the Asian woman come to a small rundown house that was in desperate need of some repairs. Windows appeared to be broken and barricaded with large pieces of wood.

The fences surrounding the residence were in dire need of a new paint job and a couple replacements here and there. As they approached the doorstep, a small black kitten had jumped out of nowhere and nearly startled the young Asian woman.

"Ack!"

"Relax it's just a cat," Dante snickered, picking the feline up and knocking on the rusty old door.

A few seconds later, an old woman emerged from inside the house. Her wrinkled old skin was a disgustingly pale color that was not very noticeable until she stepped into the light of the doorway.

Fidgeting with her small, thick, bottle cap looking glasses, she takes a slight glance at Dante and gives him a warm hug.

"Dante! Hello, it's been awhile since I've last seen you. You look bigger, have you been working out?" she said looking so surprised to see him.

The young demon hunter smirked a bit and chuckled.

"Yeah, but I didn't come here to discuss my body."

"Oh, of course not! You and your little friend over there can come inside," she said inviting them into the house. The woman was Claudia: an old lady that could see into people's minds that Dante had known for quite awhile.

Inside, the place was astonishingly clean, without a spec of dust or dirt in sight. Flashy wallpaper was put up and the living room furniture looked brand new.

The Asian woman was confused as to how the inside was so clean and fixed up yet the outside was not. Politely, Claudia grabs a couple of chairs and asks Dante and the Asian woman to come sit down with her at the table.

Cautiously, Dante's female friend stays close to him, steering far away from the side Claudia was sitting at.

"So what brings you here, Dante?"Claudia asks.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor," Dante began. "I want you to peer into my friend's mind and see if you could find anything that can point out who she is. You see, she's lost her memory and she has no idea who she is or where she came from. Do you think you can do it?

Claudia rested her hand on her left knee and sat in the chair, deep in thought. On a regular basis, she charged people for this kind of stuff, but since Dante was a good old friend of hers she decided to be generous and do it free of charge.

She motioned her hand for the young Asian woman to come forward, but she was too scared to leave her seat from Dante's side. He was the only person she trusted at the moment and refused to come near anyone else.

"Please come forth, dear. It won't hurt, I promise," Claudia said reassuringly.

Slowly, the Asian woman brought her chair over beside Claudia and rested her hands firmly in her lap. Steadily, Claudia places her hands onto the Asian woman's smooth head and closes her eyes while letting out a strange humming noise.

"Hmmm."

Inside the young woman's head, she could see images of people screaming for their lives, running through a ruined city ,dreadfully terrified. In vast numbers, she saw dozens bodies drop to the ground after being blasted by an army of demons.

Then there was another stranger that came into view, with an overwhelming amount of power that sent chills down the spines of the attacking monsters. After that, the image had blacked out and Claudia took her hands off of the Asian woman's head.

Dante sat patiently in his seat, waiting for her to give a report of what she saw.

"What did you see?" questioned the Asian woman.

"I saw a horrific battle taking place between an army of demons and a lone stranger," replied Claudia.

"A Stranger? Why would a stranger take on an army of demons? That's just plain suicide!"

"I don't know, but it's all I saw," Claudia replied shamefully.

"That's all you saw? That doesn't tell us anything!" shouted the Asian woman.

Claudia felt sorry she couldn't have been more helpful to her as she could tell she was really upset over it by the tone of her voice.

"I'm sorry young one, but that's all I could see. Your mind had nothing else to show me."

The Asian woman bowed her head down in total sadness. Displeased to hear there was nothing else her mind could show Claudia, she decides to walk out into the cold dark weather. Dante quickly gets up from his chair and follows her out the door after saying goodbye to Claudia.

"Hey!" He shouts catching up to her. "Look, I know your angry but don't sweat it. I'm sure we'll come across something."

As much as he tried to cheer her up, it didn't work. Feeling depressed that she would go on the rest of her life not knowing who she is, she could do nothing but frown up at him.

"I'm just going to be a brainless fool the rest of my life!" she whined.

"No your not!" stated Dante.

"Yes I am! She retorted. "Your old friend couldn't even help me. Just face it; I'm hopeless. You might as well just give up on me and go home."

Before Dante could utter another word, a sudden ear-piercing scream is heard calling out a few feet away.

"Akina! I've found you at last, you monster!" Said a geared up Vincent Striker, holding a large steel sword by his side.

"Whoa slow down there, pops. What are you going to do with that? Dante asked.

"You stay out of this! This is between me and her!" Vincent screeched.

The Asian woman looked confused, as she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I don't ever recall seeing you, and who is this Akina?"

"Don't play stupid with me, you vile creature," Vincent sneered. "Your name is Akina! I practically know everything about you. I have come to take your life away and send you to the fiery depths of the underworld, where you belong."

"I don't understand. I haven't done anything to you, at least I don't think," replied the Asian woman, still a little baffled.

Vincent had now heard enough. He was sick of talking back and forth, repeatedly. He didn't want to talk. He wanted to fight. The only thought going through his twisted mind was to kill, kill the Asian woman and put an end to his long lasting torment once and for all that he blamed she was the very cause of.

Immediately, he charged full force with his sword aimed directly at the Asian woman's beating heart. Before he could make a fresh clean stab, Dante quickly leaped in the way of his blade's path and deflected it with his own sword.

Vincent quickly caught his weapon just before it flew from his hands. Grasping it tightly, he brings it back to the hard-cemented floor.

Dante was the only obstacle that stood in his path, ensuring no harm came to the Asian woman. To get to her, he had to kill Dante. It was the only reasonable way.

As he stood there watching Dante block his path, the haunting memories that had plagued his mind for so long came rushing back. He could hear the enormous laughter of his young beautiful wife as a sudden flashback came flowing back into his brain.

_**Flashback **_

It was summer, and the two of them were having so much fun, picnicking out in the park. He had just retired from the British army and his wife had just started her vacation.

They thought their time together would last quite awhile, but unfortunately they were wrong. After the picnic, Vincent's wife had gone off to the store to get some groceries… she never came back.

He went searching for her and found her corpse lying in the middle of the road. Strangely, there were no ambulances or police cars in sight.

Rushing out from the driver's seat of his car, he stood over his wife's body. Watching her lay there motionless on the ground.

Saddened tears drooped down from his eyes as he lifted her up from the ground into his arms, eager to know what was the cause of her death.

The sky suddenly darkened and the noisy sounds of thunder could be heard booming down the empty streets. The next thing he heard was a strange voice call out to him.

"Vincent Striker!"

"Who's……. there?" he said petrified.

"Do you want to know who did this to your wife?"

"A person did it? Yes, I want to know! Who killed my wife?"

"If you promise to align yourself with me I will gladly help you catch the person responsible for your wife's death."

"Yes! Please, I'll do anything! But I don't understand. Who are you and why are you helping me?"

"Don't worry. Once I give you what you need, all will be made clear to you," the voice guaranteed.

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck Vincent's body. Screaming in intense pain, he clinched his fist together, shaking in an uncontrollable state.

In mere seconds, he no longer possessed the strength of an ordinary human. All his senses from his sight, to his touch, to his smell, had been enhanced dramatically.

After the transformation had been complete, the monstrous voice called out to him again.

"Vincent Striker! I have now given you powers to aid you in your hunt. I am about to send you an image of the woman you need to look for."

Slowly, two pictures floated downward from the sky into Vincent's hands. One contained a gruesome picture of his wife getting stabbed by a brown haired Asian woman and the other was a still photo of the Asain woman that was in the first picture.

"When you find her, don't kill her just yet," the monstrous voice warned. I want you to bring her to me. Once I'm done with her, you can have what ever is left."

"You want me to bring her to you alive? That may not be possible. What she did to me is far worse than what she could have possibly done to you!" Vincent exclaimed.

"You must be cautious when approaching her," the voice declared. "She has super natural powers that she doesn't know the full extent of quite yet. The powers you have rival her own. I just want you to bring her to me first so I can deprive her of all her powers. Do that and I promise you can have the satisfaction of killing her yourself!"

Vincent nods and heads out to search for his wife's murderer.

_**End of Flashback**_

Vincent's haunting memory suddenly faded away, but he knew it soon would come back to haunt him again, the memory of his wife's death.


	5. Chapter 5

**In reply to the reviews:**

**Gattami**, thanks for the advice. I appreciate you trying to help me. I'm glad your comments werent as harsh as others I have come across in the past, alot of them weren't even necessary. Anyway,I hope youenjoy this one.By the way, i really meant what i said when i liked your fic. If I didnt include enough detail to prove it, then I'm sorry. I'll write a better review next time.

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**Riesling** thank you for the kind words. I really do like to story tell, it's my thing :)

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**magusanubis**, hee hee, read this part and see what happens next.

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Powerful gusts of wind blew heavily across the narrow street as Dante and Vincent stood facing each other with their weapons drawn. Large blankets of dirt abruptly swept past them as neither side showed any signs of movement. The entire area was silent. Nothing could be heard but the strident sounds of the raging wind brushing by with intense pressure. Dante stood calm, soon displaying a cocky grin upon his rugged face. The harsh weather made him feel right at home. It had been such a long time since the young demon hunter had a good fight. He was much more laidback and relaxed when a fight would soon present itself to him. But this fight was much different from what he originally encountered in the past. Rather than fight for himself, the son of Sparda was fighting for the sake of someone else.

Vincent decided he would start the battle off with a quick swing of his sword towards his smiling opponent's chest. Dante soon wiped the smug look off his face and displayed a more serious expression, as he immediately stepped back just before the blade touched his covered flesh. In return, the young demon hunter flips backward and retaliates with a vertical stab to Vincent's abdomen. The vengeful, retired soldier promptly deflects his young adversary's attack with a small, metal shield bounded cleverly to his arm. Little sparks flickered about as Dante's sword clashed aggressively against Vincent's guarded limb.

The hard-hitting sounds of rusty metal colliding into each other echoed through out the empty, dark, abandoned streets. Before another jab was thrown, the British combatant elbowed his brash, white haired foe with a powerful blow to the side of the head, knocking him slightly off balance. Luckily, Dante caught himself just before nearly falling onto the solid concrete floor. Once he had regained his stability, the young demon hunter knew he was fighting no ordinary man. His strength far exceeded that of anyone he had ever faced before. With that in mind, the son of Sparda instantly transformed himself into a raging demon.

Large bat like wings sprouted out from his back, along with a set of razor sharp fangs that expanded from the inside of his mouth, as he screamed from the excruciating pain of the illuminating transformation. The Asian woman watched in horror as she witnessed Dante morph into a hideous monster. His appearance was no longer that of a handsome young man, but that of an ugly creature. The solid ground beneath Vincent's feet began to crumble, as did the massive apartment buildings built around him. Chunks of fallen debris dropped from the sky into the streets, spreading thick layers of dust everywhere.

Giant rumbling earthquakes split the road deeply in half as the Asian woman's vision became clouded in the scattering dust. Once the clouds lifted, Dante stood fully transformed in his demon state, draping out his large, sharp wings. Vincent staggered up from the damage ground, patting the dirt off his thick blue coat. Within the next second, an ear-ripping monstrous roar knocked the former soldier back down. As soon as the army veteran managed to get on his feet again, a ball of energy suddenly came hurtling towards his line of view.

He attempted to dodge the small little orb, but it was too late. Upon connecting with his body, the ball jolted him with an enormous amount of electricity that sent him to fall to one knee. He was down, but not out. Picking himself back up, once again, he fires a blast of beams from his palms to strike back at the transformed demon hunter that stood in the way of his revenge. The compelling rays exploded on contact, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke drifting in the air. Dante was nowhere to be found.

There was nothing but a pile of ashes seen where the son of Sparda once stood. Now with the young demon believed to be dead, Vincent had other matters to attend to. In the distance, away from the battlefield, the Asian woman bowed her head down in sadness, beginning to shed tears for the brave fighter that promised to recover her lost memory. Before she cried, a vengeful Vincent appeared by her side, gripping his sword tightly in his hand. Looking into her frightened eyes, he could see the image of his wife lying in the road just as he had found her.

The woman that sat before him was the cause of his female companion's death. Now that he had his wife's murderer right where he wanted, a certain long awaited question had to be answered.

"Because of you, my love is dead. I will never see her again. Because of you, she's forced to spend eternity in limbo! Before I finish you, I want to know why…..why did you do it! What did my darling ever do to you, Akina? Huh!"

"_I didn't do anything to your wife. I never even met her, and why do you keep calling me Akina?" _screamed the confused Asian woman

"_Liar!"_ Vincent retorted. "_I've seen evidence; I've seen proof. I know you did it. You're just too much of a coward to admit it, and I call you Akina because that is your name!"_

"_Fine, if you keep calling me Akina that's who I will be,"_ the Asian woman yelled, now accepting her name to be Akina. _" I don't even know who I really am, but I have a strong feeling in my gut that I am not some murderer you accuse me of being! What makes you think I killed your beloved wife?"_

_"I've been told by a mysterious entity. He told me you did it. He even showed me a picture of you stabbing my wife to death."_

Akina's eyes rolled simultaneously.

"_Entity? What entity?"_

An earthquake eruption, at that moment, halted the conversation from continuing on any further. Emerging from beneath the rocky earth, Dante came soaring up into the sky completely unscratched. His huge wings glided him over to Vincent and Akina's position to carry on the battle that was far from over.

"_Don't think this fight is over just yet!"_ snorted the demon hunter.

The resentful English man started to reply, but was quickly cut off by a familiar voice.

"_Vincent! I told you not to kill her just yet!" _

"_I'm tired of waiting. She dies, now!"_ said a defiant Vincent.

"_You insolent fool! How dare you disobey me?" _

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck down upon the Englishman's body, nearly shocking the life out of him. He immediately went stiff, with his arms and legs going totally numb as he fell to the ground flat on his face, paralyzed.

"_I don't understand! What are you doing? Have you gone mad?"_

_"No, I grow tired of your constant bickering about what you want. Your no longer any use to me, Striker. I don't even know why I wasted my time with you. This whole time you been chasing after the wrong person. It was I all along who took the life of the one you loved. I've just been leading you around like a mindless pawn, sending you to do my bidding. I simply tricked you, you humans are so gullible."_

The former British soldier's eyes rolled in disbelief. The whole time he was being used as part of a ploy, set up by an evil demon. He was ashamed to learn he had been a slave fighting for his wife's murderer. There was nothing he could do but ridicule himself for his actions.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's notses: Ah! Finally, I have mananged to get this one out. Hope you like, enjoy!**_

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Akina grasped Dante's coat tightly with her frail hands pulling him closer to her. Afraid of what was happening, the Asian woman wanted to stay as close to the young demon hunter as possible. Every thing going on around her did not make any sense, ranging from persistent demons to vengeful psychopaths. What did it all have to do with her? What connection did she have with these strange beings? 

There was nothing she could do, nobody she could trust… but Dante. Having him by her side made her feel a lot safer than she did alone. It was a confusing world, and he seemed to be the only trusting person to help her get through it. A booming loud noise is heard stomping across the streets angrily. Three gigantic beasts suddenly come into view, each of them boasting an incredible amount of strength and power. From their bulging muscles to their sharp claws, these creatures appeared much tougher than any normal average demon.

The hideous monsters were the size of buildings, towering above both Dante and Akina. Dante pressed Akina close to his back and drew out his sword, knowing the monsters had came to take the frightened Asian woman away. Despite how strong each of them were, the young demon hunter was ready to go head to head with all three of them at the same time if needed, to protect his friend. The demons of course had other plans in mind.

Dante didn't seem to pose much of threat to them. He was just a puny human waiting to be crushed beneath their scaly feet. With a quick thrust of the hand, one of the creatures sent Dante flying back several feet away with his telekinetic powers and scooped Akina up before she could run. The demons opened a large fiery portal and jumped straight through, taking Akina with them. Dante stood up from the floor, brushing the dirt off from his coat. He quickly sprinted towards the portal before it closed and jumped, unaware of what he would meet on the other side.

It didn't matter to him. All he wanted was to get Akina back from the clutches of the demons that wanted to inflict harm upon her. When he touched the rocky floors, Dante saw himself standing in a large roaring inferno. The area looked like the inside of a huge simmering volcano. Scorching flames shot up everywhere around him.

The temperature had to be way over one hundred degrees, as his body started to trickle sweat immensely. He took his coat off and left it on the ground as he proceeded forward with only a small undershirt covering his upper body. The farther and deeper he went, the hotter it became. It was like walking straight into a heated oven. Up ahead, a large cave could be seen in the distance.

There weren't any more floors to walk on, just large pillars floating in the steaming pool of hot boiling lava. To make it across, Dante would have to leap his way over until he reached the cave. Taking his first jump, the demon hunter hopped on to the first pillar. Now, he just had five more to go to reach the cave. Before he could move on to the next, a flaming fireball came flying his way.

The demon hunter ducked out of the way just before it collided with his skull. If it touched him he would have been burned badly for sure. He looked up ahead and saw one of the demons that had taken Akina, standing on the farthest pillar.

"My name is Xaphan. You do not belong here, mortal. Your kind is not accepted to be here. Leave now if you value your life!" snarled the beast.

"Heh, is that some kind of threat?" Dante chuckled, hysterically. "What if I choose to stay?"

"If you choose to stay, I have no choice but to burn you into a pile of ashes!"

"I don't have time for this. I suggest you get out of my way and tell me where the woman is."

"That half breed? Why do you care for her so much?" Xaphan growled.

"Half breed? What do you mean half breed?" questioned a confused Dante.

"Enough talk. You had your chance. Now you're doomed to die here!" Xaphan yelled, hurling another fireball at the wandering trespasser.

The demon hunter rolled out of the way of the incoming ball, dodging the attack again, and jumped across the remaining pillars with his sword drawn. As soon as he reached the final pillar with Xaphan standing on top of it, he delivered a quick stab to the demon's chest. Repeatedly, he swung his large blade at the monster's body multiple times, opening several cuts in his scaly skin. Dante swung his sword again, but Xaphan fiercely struck him hard across the face with his rounded fist before another blow was landed. The demon hunter fell to the floor of the pillar on one knee, dropping his weapon, and nearly staggering to get back up.

Xaphan knocked him down again with the side of his elbow before he managed to recover. Standing over a motionless Dante, he created another fireball within the palm of his hand, readying himself to bid farewell to the son of Sparda and deliver a scorching fatality. Quickly, Dante whipped out his duel pistols from the sides of his pockets and fired a large burst of bullets into Xaphan's face. It irritated the demon long enough for Dante to grasp his sword and deliver a fatal stab right through the fiery monster's chest. Xaphan eyes were in disbelief as he fell backward into the lava pool, dead.

"I told you to get out of my way, but did you listen? No?" snickered the demon hunter as he proceeded towards the cave.

_**Many miles ahead from Dante's location**_

Akina awakened to find herself chained up against a solid stonewall. The steaming pressure of the raging flames she was near intensified right below her feet. She hoped Dante would come rescue her, but he was nowhere to be seen. Observing the area, the Asian woman had no clue as to where she was. As she tried to break free from the tight shackles, a looming shadow slowly stepped in front of her.

"Are you comfortable, Akina?" the shadow laughed.

"Who are you? What are you going to do to me?"

"I see your still suffering from the amnesia I gave you. It'll return soon, but you wont be alive by the time it comes back!"

"Amnesia? So you're the reason why I can't remember anything? This is all your fault?"

"It is. I don't see why your upset, Akina. With all those memories, you should want to forget about them. I kind of did you a favor."

"I don't care! I want my memory back, monster!"

"Monster? Is that anyway to talk to your dear father?" hissed the shadow.

"Father? You're not my father! There's no way!"

"Oh, but I am Akina, I am!"

_**Meanwhile **_

Dante stepped inside the cave. There was nothing but darkness. He couldn't see anything in front of him, not even his own two hands. He could only listen as he explored the darkened area. Frequent growls were heard up ahead, signaling that he wasn't too far from reaching his destination.

Finally, he had reached the exit of the seemingly endless cavern. A few feet away, laid an extensively long bridge for him to cross. On the other side, stood one of the demons he saw snatch Akina away. A massive bull like monster he was, with horns sticking out from the sides of his head, as well as his broadened shoulders.

"I am Valafar. I am truly amazed to see you have defeated Xaphan. I won't make the same mistake he did. He got careless, and that is what cost him his life.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, are you through blabbing, yet?" Dante joked. "You're in my way and I need to get through."

"What you need, I can give you! Such arrogance. Do you really think you can take me on?"

"We'll soon find out, wont we? Dante said smirking.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's notes: Yep, it took me real long to update for those that still remember me. Hope I've improved some from before. Enjoy.**

* * *

After ten thousand years of waiting, Valafar seemed to have found himself a worthy challenger in Dante's extraordinary abilities. The demon hunter showed full confidence in himself and no signs of backing down. His penetrating eyes stayed glued to Valafar's brawny, scaled body, not showing any worries or doubts that he couldn't win. 

He hoisted his long sword from its shiny hilt and jumped straight towards his demonic adversary. With a swing of his blade, Dante whooshed his body around and smiled as the tip of his sword came in contact with Valfar's beefy chest. But it didn't do any significant damage to the demon, nor did it hurt in anyway. Figuring it was now his turn to make a move, Valafar now went on the offensive. He grabbed hold of Dante's weapon and yanked him up into the air. The demon hunter dangled as he kept his grip firm and tight on the sword, in effort to not let go. With a harsh blow to the gut by Valafar, Dante fell to the ground letting go of the hilt of his weapon.

The sword was no longer in his hands, but in the hands of his immortal enemy, but Valafar wanted to do the fighting his way and chucked Dante's sword to the side, refusing to use it against him in battle. He signaled for a hand-to-hand fight over the top of the bridge. Whosoever was to lose this close combat brawl would fall into the pit of boiling flames below and die an incinerating death. Of course Dante willingly accepted the challenge with a slight nod and attacked with the first blow.

Dante struck harder than any human Valafar had ever faced. The hulking monster didn't have the slightest clue that his opponent contained powers inherited from an actual full-fledged demon. His blows were hard hitting, but not enough to knock Valafar down into the pit. Charging himself with his unearthly power, Dante triggered his devil abilities and brought them to the surface for his enemy to witness. The body of the demon hunter changed shape and formed into a saliva drooling monster. Valafar was overjoyed to see that wasn't fighting any ordinary human.

"For some reason, I knew there was more to you than what was shown. So your actually part demon? That's glad to know, because I was starting to feel bad that I would crush yet another human."

"Heh, you haven't seen what I can do yet," Dante uttered, while striking Valafar with a crippling blow to the head.

The beast stumbled back a little but returned and came back swinging his fist in every direction until Dante was finally hit. After taking some bruising damage, Dante patted the dirt off his legs and rose up from the ground with his fist held high. He performed a rapid head butt that sent Valafar down on his back.

Before the monster recovered, Dante spun around and kicked the demon off the bridge. He thought the fight was over, but it wasn't quite yet. Valafar was gripped to the bridge, barely being able to hang on due to his massive weight. Dante stepped closer and drove his boot into the demon's hand.

"Now, tell me, why did you refer to Akina as a half-breed?" Dante said.

Valafar, in no position to do anything, filled in the details.

"Akina is really our master's daughter. She is like you, a half-breed. Her mother was a human and her father is a demon. She also used to be a demon hunter, but due to the memory loss that our master had given her, she has forgotten everything, about herself and her family."

His grip suddenly slipped and he began to fall down into the fiery pit of flames. Dante watched as his powerful adversary was incinerated.

Taking hold of his sword, the demon hunter walked across the bridge and continued on with his search for Akina. It was a long journey through the fiery pits of the underworld, but Dante was up for it. He had made a promise to Akina and was going to keep it. He wasn't going to abandon the woman and let her die in this horrible place she didn't want to be in. Scouting ahead, he found a large, flapping door that began to open once he stood in front of its handles. He gladly invited himself inside and discovered some sort of chamber where the bodies of dead skeletons hung from their necks. He saw an unconscious Akina chained to the wall, unable to feel the rush of the hot lava that had been boiling beneath her feet. He stepped closer, but was stopped by monstrous sound. A gigantic demon stood over him from behind. Dante's attention was soon caught by the monster's rapid breathing while he turned to see the creature face to face.

"So, you are Dante. The proud son of the legendary demon, Sparda," grunted the beast.

"That's me," Dante confirmed.

"You have a lot of guts coming down here. Have you come to perhaps rescue my daughter?"

"Daughter? So, your Akina's dear old dad Valafar was talking about. Heh, and I thought I was the only one with a dysfunctional family."

"Yes, I am here father, that is true. But Akina is really nothing but a disgrace to the demon realm. When she discovered she was part demon, it terrified her to near death. Her mother didn't want her to be anything like me, so I did the only thing reasonable and killed the worthless witch. I tried to teach her the ways of her race, but she wasn't interested.

"Ha, I don't blame her. I wouldn't listen to some psycho like you anyway," Dante interrupted.

"When she saw the vile acts of our people and how we wanted to exterminate all humans, she swore to kill every last one of us and put an end to our supposed madness. In short, she became a demon hunter…like you. I became so sick of her efforts to kill her own kind that I tried to eliminate her myself."

"And let me guess, you failed?"

"The only thing I succeeded in was removing her memory. With that, she would become weak and helpless, unable to defend herself and use her powers against my loyal minions."

"That's pretty ridiculous how you have to force your own daughter into doing something she doesn't want. I now see why she doesn't like you," Dante stated.

"Doesn't matter. She'll be dead soon, as will you."

Dante tossed his sword into the air and caught it on the way back down. He shared Akina's disgust for the demon that stood in front of him. He could feel his powers burning with rage inside him. As he powered up, Akina's eyes opened up to see her father and friend subdued in conflict.

"Dante…" she whispered.

Akina struggled to break her restraints to assist her demon slaying comrade, but they were too tight and too strong for her to break. She tried to use her powers, but was still inexperienced on how to summon them at will. Her memories were still blank and full of emptiness. There was no telling how long this spell her father had placed over her would last.

Suddenly, a sharp instrument crashed into Akina's binding chains and cut her loose. She was unaware as to how she got free, but now was not the time to worry over that. Even though she was free, there wasn't much the Asian woman could do to help. The chamber shook tremendously from the rising energy of both her father and Dante. The winner of this beginning battle was going to be tough to decipher. Both sides showed great power and only one was going to emerge as the victor.

"Be careful, Dante," murmured Akina.


End file.
